MUKILTEO — Joe Meyer struggled to regain his independence after a motorcycle accident five years ago.
Paralyzed from the chest down, Meyer found some relief on the bus, he said. He could get to work again. He could take his two daughters to dentist appointments and out to ice cream.
Budget-saving cuts to Community Transit would change that to some degree.
“For me this obviously is a step backwards — a loss of the independence I gained that, to put a point on it, paralyzed me again,” he told the Community Transit board.
Meyer was among about 130 people who attended a public hearing held in a conference room at the Future of Flight by the county’s largest transit agency.
Community Transit received hundreds of e-mails and letters faulting proposed cuts in the lead-up to the public hearing.
On Thursday, riders spoke out. Some faulted the loss of all Sunday service. Others were concerned about fare hikes to Dial-a-Ride Transit, or DART. Still others just wanted their route saved.
The cuts, which could take effect in June, were triggered by budget problems. Most transit service is funded by sales tax, a revenue stream that has been battered by the recession. The transit agency faces a $5 million budget shortfall this year, growing to an estimated $11 million gap in 2011.
Community Transit said the proposed cuts would mostly affect service when ridership is lower. Cuts on Sundays and holidays would save additional dollars by keeping the maintenance shop closed during that time.
While many in the crowd said they sympathized with the agency’s budget situation, they felt that other options should be considered.
Marty Seagran, 50, of Gold Bar, said the transit agency should have turned sooner to the public for input.
He suggested making cuts to routes evenly throughout the transit system, and also called for a freeze on management pay. The latter remark garnered rare applause from the otherwise quiet crowd.
“I think the board needs to send this whole proposal back,” Seagran said.
Shane Johnson, 24, of Arlington, faulted the cancellation of service on Sundays and holidays. Johnson works on the weekends. He told the board the cuts took into account the bottom line — not riders such as him.
“I depend on you, so please keep the rider in mind,” he said.
Cuts also will hit routes used by Boeing employees. Several who work for the aerospace giant spoke up on Thursday, including David Clay, a 32-year veteran of the company.
Clay, a Snohomish resident, said snipping routes that serve the county’s largest employer would complicate traffic across the board.
“I’ll be back on the road,” he said, “and I won’t be a happy camper.”
The public can comment on the proposed cuts through Feb. 8. The agency’s board is expected to vote on the plans in March. Learn more at www.commtrans.org.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.
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